The Only Exception
by Skyler Anne
Summary: In 1864 Damon Salvatore was turned into a vampire, before he left Mystic falls he made a promise to Emily Bennett that he would protect her family. 46 years later, Damon Salvatore is back and is infatuated with Alexandria Bennett, Emily's great niece.


_**EDITOR'S NOTE:**_

_**This is my first fanfic I've posted. I don't usually share my writing, but i figured what the heck why not. I don't own any of the characters except for Alexandria. Its the beginning of a tragic love story.**_

The sun was slowly coming up over the horizon when Alexandria Bennett sat down in front of her great grandmother Emily's tombstone. Daybreak was Alexa's favorite time of day. The way the sunlight slowly broke through the gaps between the trees that surrounded the cemetery and the faint sounds of birds chirping coming from the trees were things that made her smile. Alexandria slowly unpacked her rucksack, placing 3 white crystal rocks the shape of a triangle in front of Emily's tombstone. She pulled out a brown grimoire that was clasped shut with belt buckles. She quickly unbuckled the buckles and started flipping through the pages, looking for séance spell. Alexa had been planning this for weeks, ever since her grandmother had mentioned that during certain days of the year, witches could resurrect the spirits of ancestors and talk to them. Today was one of those days, and she wanted to talk to her great grandmother Emily.

Every time she had asked her grandmother how Emily had died, she had refused to tell her. Alexandria wanted to know the truth. She was going to talk to Emily's spirit; well she was going to try.

"_Now where is that spell..."_ she mumbled to herself as she continued to flip through the grimoire. _"I don't see how it is of any deal to know the truth; after all you are my great grandmother."_ Alexa had visited Emily's grave ever since she was a little girl. When she was younger, she had come with her mother and grandmother on Emily's birthdays. Now a days, Alexandria spent most of her time sitting in front of Emily's tombstone. She wanted to know the truth. Actually, it was more as if she needed it. She was not going to stop until she got it.

She was so absorbed in looking through the grimoire that she had been oblivious to the man who had just exited the forest at the end of the cemetery.

Damon Salvatore cautiously looked around and noticed a girl sitting in front of a tombstone. _"Darn it"._ He thought silently as he brushed off his clothes.

He had been in the forest hunting animals against his better judgment. He glanced at the girl and could hear her reciting a poem of some sort. Damon walked towards her, the closer he got to her, he could smell her. She smelled of roses and lilacs and he wanted a taste. As he walked down the aisle of tombstones where she was sitting, he stopped suddenly as he realized where she was sitting -in front of Emily Bennett's tombstone. Damon shook his head No and slowly took two steps back, and was about to turn around and run when she noticed him.

"_Hello."_ Alexandria said as she turned and faced the man. She hadn't noticed him walk up, but she had sensed something was off, when the birds had suddenly stopped chirping. Damon was caught off guard; he had meant to disappear before she noticed he was there. _"Hello."_ He said slightly uneasy as he turned to face her. Alexandria stared at his face. He had dazzling blue eyes that captured her interest. She bit her bottom lip, she had never seen him before, and he was making her somewhat nervous the way he was looking at her.

Damon noticing the way she was looking at him gave her a smile. He glanced down at what she was holding and saw the crystals in front of Emily's tombstone. _'She must be a relative of Emily's' _he reasoned. He recalled the promise he had made to Emily before the founders of Mystic Falls took her, that he would do whatever it took to protect her offspring. He smiled at the memory. He had indeed succeeded at protecting Emily's family line, he could see a bit of Emily in the girl who was sitting in front of him. Damon wondered who she was and how they were related.

"_Who are you here to see?"_ Alexandria asked as she quickly closed the grimoire and slid it into her rucksack. She had been taught to keep her witch abilities a secret and to never show or tell anyone who was not family, and he definitely was not family, which meant she was not going to be able to do the spell.

"_To see?"_ Damon said questionably, he had been lost in his thoughts of Emily, and had no idea what she was saying.

Alexa eyed him suspiciously, _"To see, as in whose gravesite are you visiting?"_ she said as she picked up the crystals and tossed them into her rucksack after the grimoire.

"_Oh...a family friend. You?"_ He asked with a smile as he watched her. _'She's definitely a Bennett,'_ he thought silently, as he watched her try to hide the crystals.

"_My great grandmother."_ She said as she clasped the buckle on her rucksack. Alex was still sitting in front of Emily's tombstone. She reached out with her right hand and ran her hand over Emily's engraved name. She wouldn't be able to ask Emily's sprit the questions she wanted answers to this morning, but maybe she could come back later today, she reasoned with herself.

Damon still watching her as she touched Emily's tombstone. He hesitated and then spoke.

"_Was Emily your great grandmother?"_

Alexa felt like she had just jumped out of her skin. She jerked and spun her face around to face him_."Yea…"_ she said hesitantly as she watched his face.

"_Ah... My grandfather once knew her."_ He lied.

"_What was his name?"_Alexa asked skeptically, she had no idea who this person was, yet she felt as if she knew him somehow but she also had a feeling that he might be a bit dangerous.

"_Giuseppe Salvatore."_ Damon said.

"_So then you're a Salvatore then."_ Alexa stated as she slowly stood up.

"_Indeed."_ He said as he leaned up against the tombstone that was next to Emily's.

"_Hmm."_ She said as she slipped her rucksack over her shoulder.

Damon watched her as she fidgeted with her bag, as if she didn't know if she should say something or walk away. Damon smiled; it was always like this when he met new girls. They would become tongue-tied and unsure of themselves. He found it entertaining and he always used it to his advantage. Nevertheless, he couldn't take advantage of her, she was related to Emily, and he had to abide by the promise he had made to protect her family. Even if he was a hungry vampire and the smell of her was intoxicating.

"_What's your name?"_ Damon asked.

"_Oh uh Alexandria Bennett."_ She said startled, every time he spoke to her, she would jump. She couldn't figure out why. His voice was hypnotic. She felt like she could listen to him talk forever, which was a bit strange.

"_Who are you?"_ She asked as she looked up and met his eyes. They sparkled with delight as he smiled at her.

"_Damon, Damon Salvatore."_ He said as he extended his arm out to her. She shook his hand and as she did so, she saw an image flash before her eyes of Damon biting some maiden's neck and ripping her throat out. She let out a gasp as she took a step back from him.

"_You…you're…you're a vampire?"_ she stuttered as she tried to remain calm.


End file.
